Vietnam

Vietnam

Nearly half of Vietnam’s land area is covered by forests. The country’s total forest area has increased over the past two decades. The majority of this growth is the result of the expansion of large-scale timber plantations, which account for a quarter of all forest cover (FAO, 2015).

The country has a key role in the timber processing sector in south-east Asia. Vietnam imports timber from many countries in the region, including Cambodia, China, Laos, Malaysia and Thailand, and exports mainly to the EU, the US and Japan (EFI).

Vietnam entered into formal negotiations for a voluntary partnership agreement (VPA) with the EU in November 2010, and these are still underway. This process has prompted a review of relevant legislation and improved the government’s engagement with civil society. Vietnam has also been engaged in REDD+, and tackling illegal logging has been identified as part of the country’s REDD+ strategy (EFI). However, the available evidence indicates that illegal logging and the trade in illegal timber remains a serious problem (Chatham House, 2014).

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Imagine an area the size of Belgium, blanketed by forests and trees which provide food, fuel, medicine, shelter and incomes for local habitants while conserving soil and water for farms and absorbing...

This website has been funded by UKaid from the Department for International Development, with additional support from the European Forest Institute's EU FLEGT Facility. The Facility is funded by the European Union, the Governments of Finland, France, Germany, Spain, Sweden, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. The views expressed can in no way be taken to represent the official policies and views of either DFID or EFI.